New setup making water help

[dtrm]

As some have followed my 75 with basement sump

http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263

I have the basement filled with rodi no sand or rocks. My plan is to make salt mix in basement mix and heat in all 4 tanks then I have a valve to upstairs but my upstairs if full of rock and sand, pump mix up and make more for downstairs then put all in the same loop and start cycling.
input would be appreciated.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Here is my water mixing station in the basement:

The external pump mixes inside the bucket & with the turn of a valve, pumps upstairs to my tanks.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

The tank upstairs looks like the sand was dumped in dry. It is best to wash that sand out in buckets as much as possible due to all the junk in it and huge amounts of dust/powder. Without doing so, you are going to clog up your filter sock or any other media very quickly not to mention your water will take forever to clear up.

I after that is complete, I would add water to the main tank upstairs (RODI no Salt) and get the system running with freshwater. Based on the pictures it doesn't look like you have any live rock or live sand in there yet. If you do have live rock somewhere in the system don't do this.

Once you get the water running through the system you can start taking some water back out to a container and mixing salt. Once it is dissolved, dump it into the system and let it run to mix up with the rest of the water. Wait awhile, and take a reading on a refactometer or hydrometer.

Continue taking water out of the system to a bucket and adding salt and returning it to the system until the correct salinity is reached. Be sure to allow the water enought time to mix up thoroughly in the system before testing a sample in a refactometer.

This is how I initially got my salt into the system when I started my tank.

 

[SaylorsReef]

I disagree that sand needs to be washed. I've never washed mine. I do however put a large plastic garbage bag down on the sand before I fill the tank with water. Otherwise, you need to wait a few days (probably 2 - 3) before turning on the pumps.

Using the garbage bag method, my tank is crystal clear when I'm done filling.

 

[Epic Corals]

Great pic, I like the rockwork!

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I disagree that sand needs to be washed. I've never washed mine.

According to Carib-Sea, the leading provider of argonite sand, it should be washed.

Rinse all aragonite products until the effluent water changes from milky to cloudy. Place in aquarium then add water. It may be easier to place a flat object on the substrate to run water onto, (such as the empty substrate bag or a plate), to minimize churning the substrate


There is also alot of plant matter and other things in these products that you don't want in your tank. Washing the sand will help remove some of these nasties.

 

[P.Olsen]

I always rinse my sand and once you do it and see all the crap that washes off you will be glad you did. I just use a bowl on the sand to fill new tanks, just add the water on top of the bowl to keep from having a sandstorm in the tank.

 

[FishBeard]

Here is my water mixing station in the basement:

The external pump mixes inside the bucket & with the turn of a valve, pumps upstairs to my tanks.

Jeni, seeing the dual DI system, I have to ask, what is your post membrane TDS? I thought going 5 stage was overkill when I ordered my system, and i only see 1-3 TDS post membrane, makes me wonder why I even bother running thru the DI canister and wasting all that tasty resin... Im sure all my soft corals and zoas would appreciate the little extra nutrients in the water the DI pulls out.